Food & Culture in China
What to eat across China’s regions, how to order by QR code, dining etiquette, tea, and the festivals to plan around.
Eating and everyday culture are the best parts of a China trip. Here are the regional foods and the local rules worth knowing.
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Beijing Food: What to Eat & Where (Peking Duck)
North China
Beijing food is hearty northern Chinese cooking — Peking duck, zhajiangmian noodles, jiaozi dumplings, and imperial snacks, best at hutong noodle shops and classic duck houses.
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Guangxi Food: What to Eat in Guilin & Yangshuo
South China (Guangxi)
Guangxi food is light, sour, and herbal — Guilin rice noodles, Li River beer-fish, luosifen snail noodles, and minority flavors, milder than Sichuan and a break for spice-weary palates.
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Shaanxi Food: What to Eat in Xi'an (Noodles)
Northwest China
Shaanxi food is a wheat-and-lamb heartland — biángbiáng noodles, roujiamo, liangpi, and lamb paomo, reflecting Xi'an's Silk Road past, with widespread halal options.
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Shanghai Food: What to Eat (Soup Dumplings)
East China
Shanghai food is refined benbang home cooking — xiaolongbao soup dumplings, shengjianbao, hongshao rou pork, and scallion pancakes, mild and slightly sweet versus China's spicy west.
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Sichuan Food: What to Eat in Chengdu (Hotpot)
Southwest China
Sichuan food is China's boldest regional cooking — mapo tofu, gongbao chicken, numbing má là hotpot, and dan dan noodles, with easy ways to dial the spice up or down.
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Culture & Etiquette
Tipping, toilets, taboos, and the small customs that keep you out of awkward moments.
Coming next
On the roadmap:
- Chinese Food Guide — how ordering works (scan-to-order), water safety, tipping
- Regional Cuisine — a map of China’s eight great regional styles
- Tea Culture — types of tea and the rituals worth knowing
- Chinese Festivals — what’s open (and closed) during holidays